1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lightweight, portable, hubless, flexible, dynamic, concealment and shelter systems and methods.
2. Description of Prior Art
There is often a need to conceal oneself when researching wildlife, hunting, camping, working on construction projects, or working in the outdoors. Wildlife researchers conceal themselves so that they can film and study wildlife without disturbing the behavior of the animals. Hunters often conceal themselves in various hunting blinds to avoid being detected by their prey. Campers often conceal themselves to bathe, change clothes, and perform other personal or hygiene activities. Construction workers, military, law enforcement, and others who work in the outdoors also have similar needs for concealment. Various methods have been employed to accomplish these tasks.
In the past, quite complex, heavy structures have been built or constructed for concealment. Hunters have built permanent hunting blinds. Portable huts, shower stalls, dressing shelters, tents, canopies, and complex tree blind structures have been carried into the great outdoors.
The Ser. No. 11/045,736 application provided a list of patents relating to this field of invention. The discussion of these prior art references is included by reference.
The use of such devices has several disadvantages such as being heavy, bulky, noisy, expensive, awkward, and complicated to assemble or use. Most of these devices have only a single use and single configuration with poor performance. There is a need for a simple, lightweight, compact, portable, flexible, dynamic, multi-use means of concealment.
The following ground blinds are known in the art:                Hunter's Specialties' “Lightweight Portable Ground Blind”        Avery' “Avery Quick Carry Ground Blind”        U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,234, entitled “Portable Blind”        Double Bull series of five hub blindsHowever, these ground blinds are limited in that they are designed for a single use or application.        
Our series of single hub blinds (e.g. Ser. Nos. 11/788,495, 12/290,213, 12/459,934, 12/610,887) provide valuable improvements of the various conventional blinds. However, simpler, lower cost, more dynamic and flexible blinds are desirable.
It is also desirable to have a blind that can provide shelter from the elements. Light weight portable tents with nylon shells, rain flies, and external fiberglass poles are well known, but there have not been major innovations in basic structure and configuration of such tents in the last two decades. Each tent comes with a predetermined number of parts and is limited to a single configuration.
What is needed is a dynamic system of simple components that can be used to construct a wide variety of outdoor blinds and shelters. With such a dynamic system, the simple components can be used to create ground blinds, waterfowl blinds, blinds attached to vessels and vehicles, and various shelters.